Latest news with #IslamicState-linked
eNCA
2 days ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Mozambique probes claims of army atrocities near TotalEnergies site
Mozambique's human rights commission said on Friday it has opened an investigation into media reports of deadly abuses by government soldiers against villagers fleeing jihadist unrest near a major TotalEnergies gas plant. Politico reported in September that soldiers tasked with protecting the French fossil fuel giant's site had rounded up villagers following a major attack in 2021 and locked between 180 and 250 into containers, accusing them of being part of an insurgency. The men were held for three months and beaten, suffocated, starved and tortured, with only 26 surviving, according to the report by journalist Alex Perry based on interviews with survivors and witnesses. "If true, the facts alleged in the article may constitute crimes of summary execution (murder) torture and other cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment," the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) said in a statement. A team of investigators was in place and consulting with officials from the northern Cabo Delgado province, the statement said. They would visit the area to collect statements from witnesses and victims, and also meet representatives of Mozambique LNG, the local subsidiary of France's TotalEnergies. A final report would include recommendations on accountability and possible reparations for victims, it said, without giving a timeline. Mozambique LNG said last year it had no knowledge of the atrocities alleged to have been carried out between April and July 2021. In March 2021 Islamic State-linked militants active in Cabo Delgado since 2017 attacked the port town of Palma, a few kilometres from the TotalEnergies site, sending thousands of people fleeing. Conflict tracker ACLED estimated that more than 800 civilians and combatants were killed while Perry reported, after an investigation, that more than 1,400 were dead or missing. The multi-billion-dollar liquefied natural gas project, a major boon for impoverished Mozambique, has been stalled since then.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mozambique: IS-linked group behind mass child kidnappings
AI- Generated Image The NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday released a report claiming that Islamic State-linked militants from the regional Islamist terror group al-Shabab have kidnapped at least 120 children in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province since the start of the year. HRW says al-Shabab, which is not tied to the Somali terror outfit of the same name, "has ramped up abductions of children" with most "being used for transporting looted goods, forced labour, forced marriages, and taking part in the fighting." "Al-Shabab needs to spare children from the conflict," said HRW's deputy director for Africa, adding, "Recruiting or using children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities is a war crime." Mozambique struggles to contain Islamist violence in north Since 2017, the oil-rich Cabo Delgado region has been plagued by jihadist violence that has killed at least 6,000 people, displaced some 1.4 million more and forced the suspension of a giant gas exploration project by TotalEnergies. Mozambique government forces have struggled to contain the violence, relying instead on support from troops from Rwanda, South Africa, and other regional partners. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), visited the region this month, exclaiming, "Climate shocks, increasing violence and spiralling hunger are having a terrible impact on the population." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Stoppa det här i skorna! Mina favoritbyxor var för stora redan efter 3 dagar (jag tappade hakan!) trendreporter24 Undo Egeland called the situation in northern Mozambique one of the world's neglected crises. The NRC says more than 5 million people in the region now face critical levels of hunger and more than 900,000 face emergency hunger conditions. Problems in Cabo Delgado have been overshadowed by protests following last year's presidential elections. The situation has further deteriorated after numerous tornadoes battered the area and US President Donald Trump cut off foreign aid.
DW
6 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Mozambique: IS-linked group behind mass child kidnappings – DW – 06/24/2025
The group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has claimed that the Islamist group al-Shabab has abducted hundreds of children this year. The children are forced into fighting, labor or even marriage. The NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday released a report claiming that Islamic State-linked militants from the regional Islamist terror group al-Shabab have kidnapped at least 120 children in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province since the start of the year. HRW says al-Shabab, which is not tied to the Somali terror outfit of the same name, "has ramped up abductions of children" with most "being used for transporting looted goods, forced labor, forced marriages, and taking part in the fighting." "Al-Shabab needs to spare children from the conflict," said HRW's deputy director for Africa, adding, "Recruiting or using children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities is a war crime." Since 2017, the oil-rich Cabo Delgado region has been plagued by jihadist violence that has killed at least 6,000 people, displaced some 1.4 million more and forced the suspension of a giant gas exploration project by TotalEnergies. Mozambique government forces have struggled to contain the violence, relying instead on support from troops from Rwanda, South Africa, and other regional partners. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), visited the region this month, exclaiming, "Climate shocks, increasing violence and spiraling hunger are having a terrible impact on the population." Egeland called the situation in northern Mozambique one of the world's neglected crises. The NRC says more than 5 million people in the region now face critical levels of hunger and more than 900,000 face emergency hunger conditions. Problems in Cabo Delgado have been overshadowed by protests following last year's presidential elections. The situation has further deteriorated after numerous tornadoes battered the area and US President Donald Trump cut off foreign aid. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
eNCA
6 days ago
- Politics
- eNCA
IS-linked group abducting children in Mozambique: HRW
Islamic State-linked militants active in northern Mozambique are increasingly abducting children, with at least 120 kidnapped this year, although some have already been released, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. The gas-rich region has been plagued for years by jihadist violence that has killed thousands of people, caused others to flee and forced the suspension of a giant gas exploration project by TotalEnergies. The armed group operating in Cabo Delgado province "has ramped up abductions of children", using them as fighters or for labour or marriage, the rights group said in a statement. "In recent days, 120 or more children have been abducted," said Abudo Gafuro, executive director at the Kwendeleya national organisation that monitors attacks, in the statement. This was the number of abductions recorded since January 2025, HRW deputy Africa director Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz told AFP when asked for details. "Most of the abducted children are being used for transporting looted goods, forced labour, forced marriages, and taking part in the fighting," the statement said. Some children had been released and it was unclear how many remained in the hands of the armed group, known locally as al-Shabab -- though with no links to the Somali militants of a similar name. HRW said it had interviewed nine people -- Cabo Delgado residents, journalists, civil society activists and a UN official -- who had all expressed concern about "the resurgence of kidnappings". The impoverished region is remote and attacks often fall under the radar, partly due to officials' silence. - War crime - In one incident in March, the group abducted six children to carry looted goods and only released four. In a raid on a village in Muidumbe district on May 11, they abducted six girls and two boys. "Al-Shabab needs to spare children from the conflict," said Budoo-Scholtz. "Recruiting or using children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities is a war crime," said HRW. Earlier this month, the UN children's agency said it was "deeply concerned" by reports of violent attacks and abductions targeting children. Three girls, the youngest only 12 years old, were killed in the attack in Muidumbe, UNICEF said, adding it was a "tragic reminder of the dangers children face in conflict-affected areas". At least 6,000 people, including 2,500 civilians, have been killed in northern Mozambique since 2017 due to insurgency in the region, stalling the exploitation of vast offshore gas deposits discovered in 2010. More than 1.3 million have been displaced by the conflict, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA. In a major incident in 2021, the IS-linked militants attacked the port town of Palma in an assault that lasted several days, sending thousands of people fleeing into the surrounding forest. By Hillary Orinde
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Africa Proposes 10-Year Purchase Deal For U.S. LNG
South Africa has proposed to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States over a 10-year period as the country looks to secure a trade deal with the Trump administration, a ministerial statement by the South African government has revealed. South Africa plans to import 75 to 100 million cubic metres of LNG per year from the U.S., the world's top LNG exporter. According to Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, South Africa's Minister in the Presidency, the deal would 'unlock approximately $900 million to $1.2 billion in trade per annum and $9 billion – $12 billion for 10 years based on applicable price.' According to Ntshavheni, U.S. LNG will not replace South Africa's current supplies but rather complement them. Ntshavheni, South Africa's cabinet spokesperson, said her country would also explore areas of cooperation with the U.S. in various technologies, including fracking, to help unlock the country's gas sector. South Africa's Karoo region holds significant gas reserves, however, the country has a moratorium on shale gas exploration over environmental grounds. The proposed trade package also includes a quota of 40,000 vehicles per year to be exported duty-free from South Africa; duty-free supplies of automotive components sourced from South Africa; 385 million kilograms of duty-free steel per year and 132 million kg of duty-free aluminium per year. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is credited with proposing the LNG deal during his visit to the White House a week ago, when U.S. President Donald Trump blamed him for 'genocide' against white farmers and controversial government policies, such as black economic empowerment and land reforms. Ramaphosa had hoped to use the meeting to mend fences with the Trump administration after Trump cancelled aid to South Africa, accusing the government of committing 'egregious actions.' South Africa-born billionaire and a Trump super-ally, Elon Musk, has condemned the South African leadership for supporting 'openly racist policies.'Musk is considered to be a big reason behind the animosity towards South Africa by the Trump administration, where white South Africans disproportionately control most of the country's land and wealth despite constituting just 7% of the population. Back in March, Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state, declared South Africa's ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata and expelled him from the country. The administration has criticised South Africa's genocide court case against Israel. South Africa currently imports most of its gas from Mozambique via pipeline, with Mozambique's $20 billion natural gas and LNG project facing repeated delays. The project was halted in 2021 due to violence in the Cabo Delgado region, specifically an attack by Islamic State-linked militants. TotalEnergies (NYSE:TTE) is currently seeking approval from the Mozambican government to lift a force majeure declaration on the project, and hopes to start production by 2029. Total is the project's main operator with a 26.5% stake, followed by Japan's Mitsui & Co with 20%, while Mozambique's state-owned ENH owns a 15% stake. Despite the violence, the project is viewed as crucial for the region's economy and Mozambique's economy, with the Southern African country projected to earn US$23 billion from the Coral Norte project over three decades. The LNG plant will liquefy 13.12 million metric tons of natural gas per year (tpy). Whereas 18 African countries produce some natural gas, Algeria, Egypt, and Nigeria account for nearly 90% of all gas produced on the continent. Nigeria has the continent's largest gas reserves at 206.5 trillion cubic feet. The oil and gas sector in Africa's most populous country is responsible for 95% of the country's foreign exchange earnings and 20% of GDP. Source: LNG Industry Currently, Africa has several big LNG projects in progress or awaiting FID (Final Investment Decision). These include Rovuma LNG, Coral North FLNG, Mozambique LNG, and Tanzania LNG. These four projects will be instrumental in ramping up the continent's LNG export capacity over the next decade. The Coral South FLNG is a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility located offshore Mozambique, specifically in the southern part of Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin. It is designed to process 450 billion cubic meters of natural gas from the Coral reservoir, liquefying 3.4 million metric tons annually for export. The facility is the first FLNG deployed in deep waters on the African continent. Meanwhile, Rovuma LNG is a 12-train project with a total capacity of 18 million tpy; Mozambique LNG has a total export capacity of 43 million tpy while Tanzania LNG will provide 10 million tpy worth of capacity. By Alex Kimani for More Top Reads From this article on
